Health Sciences

The Diploma of Health Sciences is a highly flexible pathway which can be tailored to your individual needs and areas of interest. This level of flexibility may increase your employment opportunities and is an excellent choice if you are interested in health administration and/or health management.
Health Science graduates have successfully entered other postgraduate programs within the same field.

Further Study

After completion, students may be eligible to apply for entry into Curtin master programs in public health (food science, health information management, health promotion, occupational health and safety, public health and sexology), occupational therapy, pharmacy, physiotherapy and speech pathology.

Leading to

Bachelor of Science

(Health Sciences)

Careers include

Health Administration Officer

Research Officer

Project Officer

Insurance Officer

Your Health Sciences Pathway

If you have…

✓ Completed Year 12 with an ATAR (or the equivalent in your country).

Diploma of Health Sciences (Stage 2)

8 university level units studied over 2 semesters. Equivalent to Year 1 of the corresponding Curtin degree.

Direct Entry into Year 2 at Curtin University

Graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Health Sciences).

Or if you have…

✓ Completed Year 11 (or the equivalent in your country).

Diploma of Health Sciences (Stage 1)

8 pre-university level units are studied over 2 or 3 trimesters.

Diploma of Health Sciences (Stage 2)

Equivalent to year 1 of the corresponding Curtin Bachelor Degree.

Diploma of Health Sciences Units (Stage 1)

CRICOS Code 087942A

Students must complete the following core units and two elective units:

Core Units

Academic Communication Skills

Academic Research and Writing

Chemistry

Essential Mathematics

Human Biology

Information and Media Technologies

Elective Units (select two)

Accounting

Design Skills

Economics

Introduction to Design Computing

Media Culture & Communications

Management

Marketing

Physics

Project Management

Programming

Technical Mathematics

Diploma of Health Sciences Units (Stage 2)

CRICOS Code 087942A

Students must complete the following core units and two elective units:

Foundations of Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Students critically appraise public health and clinical epidemiological research literature and perform basic statistical analysis. You will encounter basic statistical and graphical description and analysis of epidemiological and biomedical data with appropriate graphs, tables, and summary measures; statistical inference and statistical hypothesis testing applied to problems in health and clinical medicine using parametric and non-parametric tests; calculation of common epidemiological measures of disease frequency and association such as incidence rate, prevalence, attributable risk, risk ratios and odds ratio; role and significance of inferential statistics such as confidence intervals and probability values.

Foundations for Professional Health Practice

Introduction to ethical decision making in the context of professional health practice. Application of academic standards and development of skills required for studying at university. Introduction to professional requirements which impact on the safety and quality of client centred service/care when working in a health setting. Examination of differences in Australian and international health systems. Students will learn the value of diversity in inter-professional practice through working in teams. Students will reflect on their learning and begin to develop lifelong learning skills.

Health and Health Behaviour

Students will explore the environmental, social, cultural, psychological and biological factors that influence the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and populations. Perceptions of health, illness and disability and how these shape health decision making will be discussed. Consideration of how theories of health behaviour can be applied to maintaining and improving health and wellbeing. Students will work inter- professionally to identify the key principles influencing health and health behaviour required to deliver safe, high quality client and community centred services.

Human Structure and Function

Anatomical organisation of the body and the relationships between body systems and cells. Human requirements for metabolism and life. The structure and function of the body. Basic control and interactions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive and excretory systems. Primary defence against microorganisms. Mechanisms for growth, repair and reproduction.

Indigenous Cultures and Health

In this unit students will examine culture and diversity within local, national and global, Indigenous populations; impacts of specific policies and historical events on Indigenous Australians and their effects on health and health care access. Students will analyse health outcomes of Indigenous Australians and explore underlying social determinants, and how health professionals can work collaboratively in consultation with Indigenous individuals, families, communities and organisations.

Introduction to Psychology

Broad outline of the nature, methods, and fields of psychology. Introduction to psychology and methodological issues related to the study of human beings and the relevance of both for interactions with individuals and groups. Introduction to social psychology, personality, development, 1earning, memory and motivation.

Brain and Behaviour (Semester 2 only)

Examination of the structural and functional organisation of the central nervous system. Maturational and evolutionary brain development. Introduction to the basic methods used to study brain structure and function. lnter-relationships between physiological functioning and behaviour, with special reference to sensory processes and perception, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, sleep and arousal, and language.

Food and Nutrition Principles (Semester 1 only)

Background to the study of nutrition and food science. Australian food and nutrition system, sustainability and security. Global and Australian public health nutrition priorities and strategies. Factors influencing food habits. Past and present Australian food habits. Introduction to food sources and metabolic functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and the recommended dietary intakes for these nutrients. Introduction to nutritional status measurement and nutritional standards of reference. Collection, analysis and evaluation of food intake data.

Functional Anatomy

Development of foundation competencies in understanding neuromusculoskeletal anatomy of the trunk, upper and lower limbs as a basis to understanding normal human movement.

Foundations of Psychology (Semester 2 only)

Imagining Health in Social and Cultural Contexts

An introduction to sociological and anthropological perspectives on health, illness and disability in society; biomedical and social models of health. Understanding of health and illness for nurses and allied health professionals in social and cultural contexts; traditional healing systems. Marginalised populations: understanding the intersections of cultural heritage, socio- economic status, gender, sexuality, and disability and their impact upon health. Cultural security, safety and competence. Health of migrants, refugees and internally displaced peoples; historical and contemporary context in Australia and globally. Humanitarian health care delivery and disaster relief; human rights, social justice and health; community development in national and international settings.

Introduction to Chemistry

This unit is an introduction to the fundamental nature of matter for students who have not previously studied chemistry. A range of chemical processes that underpin a broad array of disciplines will illustrate the importance of and differences between chemical and mathematical representations of reactions and reactivity. The physical phenomena resulting from bond types and their resulting intermolecular forces will explain the properties of natural and man-made processes and materials. Using examples from nature and biology the role of the certain groups in ascribing reactivity and function of organic molecules will be highlighted.

Introduction to Public Health

Introduction to public health theory. Recent trends in public health practice. Environmental and nutritional factors that impact on health. Major causes of morbidity, and mortality in Australia. National health priority areas. Indigenous health issues. Application of primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention in public health.